For the final show before Wrestle Kingdom NJPW hyped up many of the feuds going into the big show. The main event will feature Zack Sabre Jr. (c) vs. Shota Umino for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.
After their tag team match tonight, Umino had a message for Sabre Jr.
“I will take the championship from you. I cannot lose to you. Thanks for support NJPW through these tough times. Thank you for being a strong champion and being there for the fans. I respect you more than anyone….I want that IWGP Championship more than anything. In 2024, you were The Man but 2025 belongs to Shota Umino,” said Umino to Sabre on the floor.
The IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship has become a Four-Way Ladders, Tables and Chairs Match after all the shenanigans you can read below.
Following the Hiroshi Tanahashi, El Phantasmo, Oleg Boltin, Tomoaki Honma and Toru Yano versus House Of Torture (EVIL, Ren Narita, SHO, Yoshinobu Kanemaru and Yujiro Takahashi) match while the faces are posing for the cameras House of Torture attacked them from behind. Evil produced a pair of scissors and was about to cut The Ace’s hair. The Ace fights back grabbing the scissors for himself. He tries to cut Evil’s hair. Dick Togo saves Evil. He chokes The Ace down to one knee. Evil cuts a huge clump of The Ace’s hair. The crowd boos. Evil laughs at The Ace saying their match at Wrestle Kingdom will be Tanahashi’s last.
The Wrestle Kingdom 2025 card on January 4th is:
- IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Zack Sabre Jr. (c) vs. Shota Umino
- IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship: David Finlay (c) vs. Yota Tsuji
- IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: DOUKI (c) vs. El Desperado
- NEVER Openweight Championship: Shingo Takagi (c) vs. Konosuke Takeshita
- IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship – Four-Way Ladders, Tables and Chairs Match
- Intergalactic Jet Setters (KUSHIDA & Kevin Knight) (c)
- Ichiban Sweet Boys (Robbie Eagles & Kosei Fujita)
- Bullet Club War Dogs (Clark Connors & Drilla Moloney)
- Catch 2/2 (TJP & Francesco Akira)
- NJPW World TV Championship – Four-Way Match:
- Ren Narita (c)
- Jeff Cobb
- Ryohei Oiwa
- ELP
- Special Singles Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. EVIL
- NJPW Ranbo (Battle Royal): Winner gets a IWGP World Heavyweight Championship Match
- Mayu Iwatani (c) vs. AZM – IWGP Women’s Championship Match
Road to Tokyo Dome Results
Jeff Cobb versus Hartley Jackson
Slam after slam, clothesline after clothesline Jackson keeps getting up. He is finally pinned by a Tour of the Islands.
Winner: Jeff Cobb
Ichiban Sweet Boys (Kosei Fujita and Robbie Eagles) versus Intergalactic Jet Setters (Kevin Knight and KUSHIDA)
Clark Connors and Drilla Maloney disrupt things entering the ring with steel chairs. The match is thrown out. The War Dogs beat everyone with chairs. Drilla sporting a man bun is hilarious. Akira and TJP enter the fray fighting off The War Dogs.
Winners: No Contest
This leads to….
The United Empire versus Bullet Club War Dogs
Fujita and Eagles give Connors the ‘what for’ before beating the snot out of him on the floor. Kevin Knight starts brutalizing Drilla while Akira and TJP guard the ring with steel chairs in their hands. The official throws this match out too.
Winners: No Contest
Akira and TJP dive onto everyone remaining on the floor. The War Dogs battle back with steel chairs while pulling tables out from under the ring. Kushida blindsides The War Dogs before they can slam Akira through a table. TJP pulls a ladder out from under the ring and slides it into the ring. Kevin Knight does the same. The War Dogs are laid out on the tables on the floor. Kevin Knight teases leaping off the ladder from inside the ring. The War Dogs escape.
The IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship match at Wrestle Kingdom is now a Four-way Tables, Ladders and Chairs match between Intergalactic Jet Setters (Kevin Knight and Kushida) (c), Ichiban Sweet Boys (Robbie Eagles and Kosei Fujita), Catch 2/2 (TJP and Francesco Akira) and Bullet Club War Dogs (Clark Connors and Drilla Moloney).
El Desperado, Master Wato and Satoshi Kojima defeated Just 4 Guys (DOUKI, Taichi and TAKA Michinoku)
Naturally, Taka eat the pin via Desperado’s Pinche Loco. Desperado and Douki have words in the ring.
Winners: Just 4 Guys (DOUKI, Taichi & TAKA Michinoku)
Hiroshi Tanahashi, El Phantasmo, Oleg Boltin, Tomoaki Honma and Toru Yano defeated House Of Torture (EVIL, Ren Narita, SHO, Yoshinobu Kanemaru and Yujiro Takahashi)
Tanahashi drop kicks Yujiro when he tries to insert his cane into the match. Narita bashes The Ace with his push-up bar though. ELP super kicks Narita in the face. Arguing with the official, Yujiro shoves him into a corner. He turns around to get a haymaker in the “lower abdomen” from ELP and a super kick to the face. ELP pins him with a Thunder Kiss ’86.
Winners: Hiroshi Tanahashi, El Phantasmo, Oleg Boltin, Tomoaki Honma and Toru Yano
BULLET CLUB War Dogs (David Finlay, Gedo & SANADA) defeated Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI, Shingo Takagi & Yota Tsuji)
Finlay pins Bushi with Overkill. Finlay and Tsuji battle on after the match. Gedo saves Finlay with a low-blow to Tsuji.
“Merry Christmas, bitch!” yells Finlay before laying out Tsuji with his shillelagh.
Winners: BULLET CLUB War Dogs (David Finlay, Gedo & SANADA)
Shota Umino & Tomohiro Ishii defeated TMDK (Ryohei Oiwa & Zack Sabre Jr.)
Umino pins Oiwa with a Death Rider. Snow falls on the winners.
Winners: Shota Umino & Tomohiro Ishii
Top Photo: Evil is about to give The Ace a new look. Courtesy: NJPW.
